Never Gonna Be Alone
by lilyevans103
Summary: Lily's dad is dying of cancer. James is there for her. One-Shot. Lily and James belong to JKR. Daddy's Little Girl lyrics are Frankie J's. Title is a song by Nickelback.


Never Gonna Be Alone: A Lily/James Story

**A/N:**Hello! I have been VERY busy with College (One year down, Three/Four to go). Anyway, I am still working on the Set the Fire to the Third Bar trio, the Unlikely Pair series, and Jessie's Choice. But I wanted to do a short non song-fiction. I recently saw The Last Song which inspired this short story. Enjoy and PLEASE review! xo lily.

***June 30****th**** 1977: Platform 9¾***

Lily Marie Evans jumped off the train with her group of friends. The group hugged and promised to write each other over the long two months ahead. Lily hugged her best friends, Alice Stevens and Frank Longbottom particularly hard. Alice and Frank hugged Lily back and kissed her cheeks softly.

"You write us if you need anything at all. We love you." Frank said as he kissed Lily's forehead and left with Alice.

Lily smiled sadly and started to pull her trunk to the barrier. Just before the barrier she was pulled into a shadowy corner. Lily shrieked before a hand was placed over her mouth to silence her. Lily looked up to see James Potter looking down at her. He looked down at her with his eyes slowly darkening.

"I'll remove my hand if you promise not to scream for help." James whispered in Lily's ear. Lily nodded, having issues breathing while her mouth was being blocked. James removed his hand and wrapped his arms around Lily's waist possessively almost. Lily glared up at James.

"What the HELL are you doing, Potter! How dare you…" Lily started, but James cut her off by pressing his lips to hers. Lily stiffened for a moment before she kissed him back. James let go of her waist with one arm and pulled Lily's arms around his neck. He replaced his arm around Lily's waist and pulled her closer to him. Lily pulled away when she couldn't breathe. She stared up at James wide-eyed and then she ran away, dragging her trunk behind her.

Lily ran out of the barrier and spotted her mother immediately. Mrs. Evans was crying silently as she waited for Lily. Lily ran to her and flung her arms around her. Mrs. Evans started crying into Lily's shoulder.

"His doctors think he should enjoy the time he has left. He is up at the beach house. Petunia is busy planning her wedding to Vernon, and she doesn't _want_ to be with him at the moment. I have to stay and care for the house and Petunia. Anyway, he requested you in particular. He wants you to be with him during these last few weeks. Sugar is up there, keeping him company. I have the rest of your cloths and personal items packed and in your car. You can drop your trunk off at home, if you want. If you will be a love and drop me off at home as well, you will make it to the house before dark." Mrs. Evans said putting her arm around Lily and steering her from the station, Lily still pulling her trunk.

Six hours later, Lily pulled up to the beach house. Her golden retriever, Sugar, ran to greet Lily. Lily smiled sadly and kissed Sugar on the head before going around to the trunk of her car and pulling out her suitcase and her owl, Spot. Sugar raced to keep up with Lily as Lily locked the car and walked into the house. Lily opened the front door to hear coughing from the back room, his bedroom. Lily quickly set her suitcase and Spot's cage in her room and rushed into the back room.

He was lying on the bed still coughing. Lily sat on the floor beside the bed and took his hand. The man opened his eyes. He smiled weakly.

"Lily" he whispered

"Hi, Daddy." Lily whispered back, kissing his cheek softly. Mr. Evans kissed Lily's hand softly.

"I love you, Lily." He whispered.

"I love you, Daddy. Do you want me to make you something to eat? Maybe something to drink? Anything?" Lily whispered as she looked up at the man who she adored more than anyone else in the world.

"No, baby. You go make your food. Then you can come and tell me all about your year at school." Mr. Evans said closing his eyes again.

"Yes, Daddy. I will be right back." Lily said as she closed the door behind her. Lily walked back into her room to see an orange tabby kitten sitting on her bed. The kitten had a note attached to his neck.

_**Baby,**_

_**Sugar found this little guy this morning. I thought you might like him, I know Sugar does. I am so happy to have my little girl here with me.**_

_**Love,**_

_**Daddy.**_

Lily smiled and petted the kitten softly. The kitten purred and licked Lily's fingers. Lily spent the rest of the night telling her father about her year at school. When Lily went to bed that night, her new kitten and Sugar joined her on the large bed. Spot hooted sleepily from his cage and Lily fell asleep quickly.

***One Month Later: Evans Residence, London* **

Mrs. Evans rushed to the door as the doorbell rang. She opened the door to see James Potter on the doorstep. James looked nervously at Mrs. Evans.

"Hello, how can I help you?" Mrs. Evans asked.

"Good afternoon, I am James Potter. I go to school with Lily. Is she here?" James asked as Mrs. Evans smiled at him.

"Would you like to come in?" Mrs. Evans asked standing aside and gesturing inside the house.

"Yes, thank you Ma'am." James said stepping inside the house and shutting the door behind him.

"I was about to have some tea, would you care to join me, James?" Mrs. Evans asked.

"Tea would be lovely, Ma'am. Thank you." James said as he followed Mrs. Evans into the living room.

"Call me April, James. Now, I believe you were looking for Lillian? Sugar or cream in your tea?" Mrs. Evans said as she poured the tea and offered James a plate of tea sandwiches.

"Yes, April. One teaspoon of each please. I am in the same house as Lily in school and we have a mutual friend named Remus. I have been writing Lily at this address for the past month and my owl always returns with the letters unopened. So I was just wondering if there was something wrong with Lily." James said as he accepted his tea and took a sandwich.

"Lillian is very fond of Remus; we have had him to stay here. Very sweet boy. Lillian is not here this summer. Her father, Jason, is very sick. He has leukemia. He has had the cancer almost all of his life. But this time it is extremely severe, he is dying. His doctors have given him three more weeks to live. Jason is an only child. He inherited a beach house from his parents. When Lillian and Petunia were younger we would take them to the house. Jason and Lillian were always very fond of the house. That is where Jason chose to live his final days. Lillian is fonder of her father than anyone else in the world. She has always been a Daddy's Girl. Petunia, my eldest, has always favored me so it all works out. Petunia is getting married in December and I have to keep the house in working order, so we stayed here for the summer."

"When Jason received his doctors word that he had a short time to live, Jason requested that Petunia and I help him move to the beach house. He also asked that Lillian be the one to stay up there with him. I agreed at once and did Petunia and Lillian. So the moment Lillian was off the platform, she was off to the beach house. Petunia and I have said our goodbyes to Jason. We figured that Lillian would need longer to say hers. So Lillian is not here this summer. If you wish I can write out the address to the beach house. You can go talk to Lillian in person." Mrs. Evans said setting her teacup down.

James was in shock. He had thought that Lily was simply mad at him for whatever reason she had this time. But it was much more serious than that. Her father was dying. He immediately had a need to see her, to comfort her. Remus had told James how much Lily loved and admired her father. The fact that he was soon to be leaving her must cause her extreme anguish. Lily must be feeling so alone and depressed at the moment. Sure, she had other friends who would be willing to be there for Lily in a heartbeat. But James wanted to be so much more. He wanted to be THE friend that Lily turned to.

"I am so sorry, April. If there is anything I can do, just let me know. Yes, I will take that address if you would be so kind. Thank you for your hospitality and the tea. I am so sorry again for your family. I'll send Lily your love. Good afternoon." James said softly as he took the paper April handed him and as he left the house.

James walked quickly to the end of the street and apperated quickly back to Potter Hall, his ancestral home. Sirius was waiting impatiently for James to return as Remus and Peter played chess behind him in the drawing room. Sirius held two letters addressed in green and bearing the Hogwarts seal. As James appeared in the room Sirius handed him the letter addressed to him. James quickly opened the letter to see a gold Head Boy badge. James did a double take. HE had been made Head Boy. Sirius let out a roar of laughter as he saw the badge. Remus looked up in annoyance to see the badge in James's hand.

"Congratulations, James. You will make a great Head. Checkmate, Pete. Well I suppose that we should all head out to Diagon Alley. We have quite a bit to buy. I think Mary said that the girls are heading out today too; maybe we will run into them." Remus said clapping James on the back.

Two hours later the four arrived back at the house. James had bought two of every book he would need as well as extra parchment, ink, and quills. James knew that Lily aspired to be Auror like he did. So James had bought her a set of books, ink, parchment, and quills. James thought that Lily would want to spend as much time as she could with her father, so he had done her shopping for her. James's parents were in his father's study so James knocked on the door and entered when his father told him to.

The office was large and handsome. Mr. and Mrs. Potter were sitting behind the desk looking at a book.

"Hello, Son. What can we do for you?" Mr. Potter asked looking up at James.

"Hello mother, father. I am here to ask a favor of you. One of my friends is having a tough time at the moment. I was hopeing that I could go and visit her for a while? The full moon is approaching so I think it would be best to allow the others to stay here for Remus's sake." James said looking hopefully at his parents.

"Yes, of course dear. Have fun. I'm sure that your friends will survive one adventure without you. Give your friend our best. We will see you in a few days." Mrs. Potter said smiling fondly at James.

"Thank you, Mother, Father." James said kissing his mothers cheek and shaking his fathers hand.

James told his friends that he had to take a trip for a few days. When Sirius questioned him, James told him that it was urgent business. James went up to his room and packed the duffle bag that Remus had gotten him for Christmas with several pairs of shorts and several shirts. James also packed his trunk besides his wand and put Lily's supplies in the duffle bag. James finally picked out his best jeans and tee shirt and laid them on his desk for the next day. James took a shower, changed into his pajama pants and fell asleep.

*** The Next Morning: Beach House***

Lily and Mr. Evans had gone for a walk down the beach with Sugar trailing happily behind them. Cinnamon, Lily's kitten was also following them cautiously. Lily was now making pancakes for breakfast as her father watched her from the table. Lily placed the pancakes on a plate and set them on the table. She took the syrup and put it in the microwave to warm it up. Lily took the container of berries out of the fridge and placed it on the table too. She took two mugs and poured coffee giving one to her dad and putting the other by her plate. She took the syrup out of the microwave and set it on the table before taking her seat.

"I was made Head Girl for the year, Daddy." Lily said as she started to eat. Lily was inwardly wondering how she was to buy her school supplies when her father was so sick. She didn't want to leave him alone.

"Good job, love. You will do great." Mr. Evans croaked as he too started to eat.

"Thanks, Daddy." Lily said as there was a knock on the door.

"I got it." Lily said walking into the hallway leading to the door. Lily opened the door to see James Potter on the front porch. He was holding out a stack of books. Lily saw that they were all the books that were on her book list for the year. Lily took them from him and smiled up at him nervously.

"Morning, Lily. I stopped by your house yesterday to see why you weren't answering my letters. Your mum told me I'd find you here." James said smiling back at Lily.

"Thank you, James. Would you like to come in? I just made breakfast. I'd be happy to fix you a plate." Lily whispered, still in shock that he was there.

"That would be lovely, Lily, thank you." James said as he stepped into the house. Lily motioned James to follow her back into her room. Lily placed her books on her bed and nodded to the one across from it.

"I see you have a bag with you. I'm afraid that there are only two bedrooms in this house. You and I will have to share. But at least there is another bed for you to sleep on. Why are you here, James?" Lily asked sitting on her bed and looking up at him.

"I am here for support, Lily. Like I said a minute ago, I stopped by your house yesterday to see what I had done to anger you this time. Your mum told me that I would find you here with your father. That is why you haven't answered my letters, you hadn't gotten them. My friends and I went school shopping yesterday as well. I know that you also plan to join the Aurors after graduation, so I bought you a set of books required for our seventh year. I got permission from my parents to stay as long as you want me to. I promise not to make a pass at you while we are here in such tight conditions. Now, I think you mentioned food?" James said knelling in front of Lily and taking her hand in his.

"Thank you, James. That was very sweet of you. I came here straight after leaving King's Cross. I don't want to leave Daddy here alone, so I couldn't think of how I was going to get my books for the next year. Thank you for that too. Can I pay you back for the books at least? Yes, we have breakfast in the kitchen where Daddy is waiting for me to come back with you." Lily said looking down at James.

"It was nothing, Lily. I understand that you don't want to leave your dad, that's why I bought the books for you. No, you may not pay me back, it wasn't a big deal. Now, which way to the kitchen?" James asked as he stood up and helped Lily up. Lily pulled James into the kitchen and gestured to the chair beside hers.

"Daddy, this is a friend of mine, James Potter. He is going to be staying here with us. He is in the same house as me at school. He is friends with Remus too. James, this is my daddy, Jason Evans. Now, how many pancakes do you want, James?" Lily said as she poured a cup of coffee for James and handing it to him.

"Four please, Lily. It is nice to meet you, Mr. Evans. I'm sorry that I didn't give any advanced notice about showing up here. I went to see Lily yesterday at you house in London your wife gave me the address to the house. I hope you don't mind my staying with you and Lily for a few days, or longer if you want me to. Thank you, Lily." James said as Lily placed his plate in front of him. Lily smiled a little sadly as she resumed her seat. The three finished their breakfast and Jason kissed Lily softly and whispered something about going to rest. Lily nodded and Jason gestured for James to follow him. James followed Jason into the living area. Here Jason held out his hand to James.

"Good to meet you, son. You stay as long as you want. You'll make good company for my baby when I leave this earth. You take care of her, you hear?" Jason murmured as he shook James's hand.

"Yes, sir, thank you sir. I will sir, I promise." James whispered back so Lily couldn't hear him. Jason picked up his cane and walked slowly back to the room he was staying in. James turned back to the kitchen to see Lily standing ridged over the sink looking out the window that was over the sink and that overlooked the beach. James put a hand on her lower back and waited.

"I have been praying for him to get better, James. My family used to go to church every Sunday. Even after I started school. Mum and Daddy are very religious people. Mum would iron out Petunia's and my best dresses and the family would go to church every Sunday. I haven't prayed in years, James. I've been praying so much for Daddy to get better since mum wrote me and told me how bad he was this time around. I don't want him to die. It's not time for him to die. I still need him here with me. I'll do anything to keep him here with me. I've prayed day and night for God to heal him. I've told God that I would do anything to keep my Daddy here. But, apparently, it wasn't ment to be. Daddy has weeks left to live. He will be gone by the time we go back to school. I love him so much, James. I don't know what to do." Lily said still looking out the window as tears ran down her face.

James said nothing but turned Lily to face him. He wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her to him. Lily continued to cry as James hugged her. Lily's hands clenched James's shirt as she sobbed. James still said nothing, but simply held her. Lily eventually pulled away, still sniffling. James stepped back to look at her.

"Let's go for a walk. I promise we won't be two minutes from the house. I just want to talk." James said quietly as he pulled Lily outside behind him. Sugar and Cinnamon, who had been lying on the porch in the sun quickly jumped up to join the two. Lily walked a short distance and sat on a log. James joined her and waited once more.

"Daddy has been sick since he was a child. He would go to the doctor yearly to see if the cancer had spread. Usually it hadn't. But sometimes he would spend months in the hospital as the doctors ran test on him. Luckily, he was homeschooled, so he didn't miss any school. He always turned out fine until last December. The cancer had spread and the doctors could do nothing to stop it from spreading even more. So the doctors told mummy and Daddy that he had ten months to live. He spent eight month at home, trying to fight the cancer. He went back to the doctor at the beginning of June. They told him that he had, at most, three months to live. Daddy decided that he wanted to spend those months here with me for company."

"He always loved it here. So mum packed up all of his clothes and personal items and drove him and my dog, Sugar, up here. The minute I was off platform 9 ¾ mum told me to get my butt up here. So I did. I've spent the past month up here spending time with Daddy. We still go to the local church on Sundays. We take daily walks on the beach. It is going to be so hard to say goodbye to him. I love him so much." Lily said throwing sticks every so often for Sugar, who would race off and bring the stick back to Lily.

"Lily, it is time for him to go. He has had a good life, he has you and you idolize him. But by the sound of it, he has also suffered for most of his life. It is time for his pain to stop, Lily. He will always be looking out for you. I saw how much he loves you and how much you adore him. Just because he won't be here physically doesn't mean that he is going to disappear. He will be watching you from heaven. He will be in your heart. I will stay as long as you need me to, Lily. But it is time for you to say your goodbyes to him. Tell him just how you feel about him." James said quietly looking out into the ocean. Lily looked up at him.

"When did you get so mature, James? You aren't like this in school." Lily whispered as Cinnamon curled into her lap.

"War does that to people, Lily. Anyway, it was bound to happen at some point. It is time, don't you think? There is a war coming, Lily. I can sense it. It's going to be bad for both sides. Voldemort is gathering a army, but Dumbledore is as well. He's calling it the Order of the Phoenix. I am joining when we are done with school. This is why I am joining the Aurors. Because of the war. Sirius and Remus too. Peter is joining because he is a follower. Don't worry, I didn't tell them bout your dad. I told them I had to take a trip for a few weeks." James said putting his arm around Lily.

"You can stay as long as you want, James. I could use the company. You know, you are not as bad as I thought you were." Lily said kissing James's cheek and going back up to the house with Cinnamon in her arms. James smiled and followed her with Sugar tailing him.

Two weeks passed. James and Lily did all the chores together and grew to like each other's company. James joined Lily and Jason on their walks and when they went to church. James noticed that Lily didn't sleep in the room at night. She went to Jason's room and stayed in a rocking chair by his bed, just in case. When James felt that Jason was on his last legs he said his goodbyes. Jason told him again, to take care of Lily, and James agreed again. Lily hugged James hard and kissed his cheek just before he left.

"I'll see you in a couple weeks, Lily. I love you." James said before apperating away, back to Potter Hall. That night Lily took her seat beside her father's bedside, and took his hand. After James had left the local doctor had come to see Jason. He told Lily as he left that Jason was unlikely to survive the night. Lily had almost burst into tears when he had told her that.

Lily closed her eyes and prayed once more

_Father, listen. Tell him that he's got a home, and he don't have to go  
Father, save him, I would do anything in return. I'll clean my room, try hard in school I'll be good, I promise You. Father, Father, I pray to You. Please don't let him go, I'm beggin' You so. Let him open eyes, need a little more time to tell him that I love him more than anything in the world, it's daddy little girl. _

"Daddy, don't leave. I'll do anything to keep you right here with me. Can't you see how much I need you? Daddy, don't leave me. The doctor didn't mean what he said. He doesn't know what he was talking about. Please, daddy. I need you. I don't know what I would do without you, daddy. I love you so much." Lily said as tears ran down her face.

"Baby… I… I have to go. It's…my time. I… understand that you… think you still… need me. But you…don't. You… go live your… life. Tell… James how… you feel… about him. You… love him. I can… tell. Tell him… Baby. I love you." Jason rasped out. He kissed Lily's forehead and closed his eyes. Lily felt his hand go limp in hers and Lily started crying in earnest.

As soon as she could see, Lily grabbed two pieces of paper and two envelopes. One she addressed to her mother, the other to James. On each paper she wrote three words.

_**He is gone.**_

Lily sent the letters off with Spot and cried herself to sleep.

One week later the funeral was held in the local church. Lily sat with her mother and Petunia. Suddenly a there he was. James slipped into the pew beside Lily and took her hand in his. Lily couldn't stop crying through the service. April spoke as did many of her father's old friends. Two hours later the service was over and all of the guests had left.

Lily returned to the beach house to pack up her belongings and her father's personal items. The clothes had been given to a local charity. Lily looked up and out of the open front door to see James sitting on the same log that they had shared mere weeks before. Lily stood up and walked slowly outside. James stood up as she approached him.

"I am so sorry for your loss, Lily. I know how much you loved him." James said as he hugged Lily. Lily hugged him back.

"I realized this summer that life is far too short, James. I am joining the Order as well. I don't have much time on this planet, James. But I want to spend what time I have left with you. I love you, James. I have for years, but I hid it even from myself. But daddy knew. The last thing he told me was to tell you how I feel. So this is me telling you that I love you." Lily said looking up at James.

James leaned down and kissed Lily.

"I love you, too." He whispered before kissing her again.

**A/N: ** My first time writing a death or someone with cancer. My first time writing a truly sad story. Lily's prayer and the last paragraph to her father are lyrics form **Daddy's Little Girl** by **Frankie J**. PLEASE review even to say that it was a complete waste of time to read. Thanks! lily 


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